Wheel with flexible wide-body spokes

Abstract

A wheel with flexible spokes, including a rim and hub, and spokes between the rim and hub made of fibrous material that causes the spokes to be both lighter in weight and stronger than comparable steel spokes. The spokes are also flexible and resilient such that they can bend while retaining their integrity and strength.

I claim: 
     
       1. A wheel comprising:
 a hub; 
 a rim; 
 a plurality of flexible spoke assemblies attached between said hub and said rim, wherein each of said plurality of flexible spoke assemblies is capable of bending without decrease in strength; and 
 a nipple corresponding to each flexible spoke assembly, said nipple fixed in said rim, 
 wherein each flexible spoke assembly of said plurality of flexible spoke assemblies comprises a flexible shaft comprising thermotropic liquid crystal fibers and having a first end and a second end and an anchor secured to said first end of said flexible shaft, the anchor configured to secure to a flange hole of said hub, 
 wherein a tube is secured to said second end of said flexible shaft and having a hub-end comprising a head with a width narrower than a width of a body of said tube, and 
 wherein each flexible spoke assembly comprises a bend in said flexible shaft at a point where said flexible shaft protrudes from said hub-end at a predetermined distance away from said nipple corresponding to the flexible spoke assembly at said rim. 
 
     
     
       2. The wheel of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible shaft of each of said plurality of flexible spoke assemblies is capable of bending at an angle without decrease in strength. 
     
     
       3. The wheel of  claim 2 , wherein said flexible shaft further comprises a plurality of non-rigid fiber material. 
     
     
       4. The wheel of  claim 3 , wherein each of said plurality of flexible spoke assemblies further comprises:
 a tube secured to said second end of said flexible shaft, said bend located at a point where said flexible shaft protrudes from said tube; and 
 said nipple corresponding to said flexible spoke assembly configured to secure to said tube. 
 
     
     
       5. The wheel of  claim 4 , wherein said nipple is configured to secure said tube to said rim. 
     
     
       6. A wheel comprising:
 a hub comprising a left flange, a right flange, and a plurality of flange holes on each of said left flange and said right flange; 
 a rim comprising a plurality of spoke holes; and 
 a plurality of flexible spoke assemblies attached between said hub and said rim, each of said plurality of flexible spoke assemblies comprises a flexible shaft comprising a plurality of non-rigid fiber material and having a first end, a second end, a central axis extending between said first end and second end, and is capable of off-axis tensioning with respect to said central axis without decrease in strength, 
 wherein said plurality of non-rigid fiber material comprises thermotropic liquid crystal fibers, and 
 wherein each of said plurality of flexible spoke assemblies further comprises:
 an anchor secured to said first end of said flexible shaft, said anchor configured to secure to a flange hole of said flange holes of said hub; 
 a tube secured to said second end of said flexible shaft and having a hub-end comprising a head with a width narrower than a width of a body of said tube; 
 a bend in said flexible shaft at a point where said flexible shaft protrudes from said hub-end of said tube; and 
 a nipple configured to secure to said tube, said nipple configured to secure said tube to a spoke hole of said plurality of spoke holes of said rim such that said hub-end of said tube extends a predetermined distance from said rim and said nipple toward said hub. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The wheel of  claim 6 , wherein said nipple of each of said plurality of flexible spoke assemblies further comprises:
 a collar configured to retain said nipple in said spoke hole of said plurality of spoke holes of said rim; and 
 a nipple opening comprising nipple threads configured to engage spoke threads on said tube to secure said nipple to said tube. 
 
     
     
       8. The wheel of  claim 7 , wherein said anchor of each of said plurality of flexible spoke assemblies is larger than said flange hole, thereby retaining said anchor against an inner surface of said hub. 
     
     
       9. A wheel comprising:
 a wheel axis; 
 a hub comprising a left flange having a predetermined number of left flange holes and a right flange having a predetermined number of right flange holes, said number of right flange holes equal to said number of left flange holes; 
 a rim comprising:
 an inner perimeter having a plurality of spoke holes, and 
 an outer perimeter having a plurality of nipple access holes centered along said rim, each nipple access hole corresponding to a spoke hole of said plurality of spoke holes; and 
 
 a plurality of flexible spoke assemblies attached between said hub and said rim, each of said plurality of flexible spoke assemblies comprises
 a flexible shaft formed with a lighter-than-steel liquid crystal fiber material and having a central axis between a first end and a second end and capable of off-axis tensioning with respect to said central axis without decrease in strength; 
 an anchor secured to said first end of said flexible shaft and is configured to secure to said hub; 
 a nipple configured to secure said tube to a spoke hole of said spoke holes of said rim, said nipple having a collar wider than said spoke hole, thereby causing said nipple to be retained in said spoke hole; 
 a tube secured to said second end of said flexible shaft and having a hub-end comprising a head with a width narrower than a width of a body of said tube, said tube attached to said nipple and extending away from said nipple and said rim toward said hub; and 
 a bend in said flexible shaft at a point where said flexible shaft protrudes from said hub-end, 
 
 wherein said plurality of spoke holes of said rim consists of a sum of said number of left flange holes and said number of right flange holes, and 
 wherein said left flange holes and said right flange holes are arranged in a staggered layout such that any line intersecting a left flange hole and a right flange hole is at a non-zero angle from said wheel axis. 
 
     
     
       10. The wheel of  claim 9 , wherein said flexible shaft comprises a plurality of non-rigid fiber material bundles with each non-rigid fiber material bundle comprising a plurality of fiber filaments.